The Paraguayan border сity of Encarnación was founded by a priest of the Jesuit monastic order in the 17th century. Unfortunately, no architectural monuments, temples, or excavations of that great time have survived – the time when monks of different orders came to the lands of Paraguay with their missions and one single goal – to convert local people to their faith.

Not all tourists go abroad to visit shrines, few like the sacred art and architecture, but when it comes to two medieval missions of Encarnación, everyone agrees on the importance and uniqueness of these monuments. You don’t have to be religious, strive to learn the beliefs of local people, or even include small churches or magnificent cathedrals in your routes. However, every traveler who finds himself in this city, full of contrasts, should certainly visit the Jesuit missions in its vicinity, because they are the only witnesses of the early period of evangelism in the country.

Both religious buildings were founded at the same time and both were included in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993. The missions represent one common attraction these days. Although they had the same fate, they still have their own stories.

The Jesús de Tavarangue Mission was founded by a Jesuit monk in 1678, and over the years it has been repeatedly attacked by the main opponents of the order and slave hunters – the Brazilian Bandeirantes.

La Santísima Trinidad de Paraná was established in 1706 and was considered to be an important missionary center for the Jesuit order in Latin America. Throughout the first half of the 18th century, its monks tried to convert the local Indian tribes to the Catholic faith. Besides, it was one of the last missions built in the country.

Both of them began to fall into decay in 1768 along with the start of mass expulsions of Jesuit monks across Latin America. Fortunately, the remains of these significant monuments for the country are well preserved to these days and represent an excellent picture of ​​this period in Paraguay's history.